Varaha Purana 106.2: Adhyaya 106, Shloka 2

The Significance and Rite of Donating the ‘Curd-Cow’

Dadhidhenudāna

Uttara Bhāga · Dadhidhenudāna-māhātmya (Ritual ground arrangement)

Devanagari script

गोचर्ममात्रं तु पुनः पुष्पप्रकरशोभिते ॥ कुशैरास्तीर्य वसुधां कृष्णाजिनकुशोत्तरीम्

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 106.2

Transliteration

gocarmamātraṁ tu punaḥ puṣpaprakaraśobhite || kuśair āstīrya vasudhāṁ kṛṣṇājinakuśottarīm

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

फिर एक गाय की खाल के बराबर जगह बनाओ। फूल से सजाओ। कुश डाल दो, और उसके ऊपर काला हिरन की खाल बिछा दो।

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Word by Word

• go-carma-mātram: only as much as a cowhide (in size)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; measure/extent
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: go (गो) + carma (चर्म) + mātra (मात्र)

• tu: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Particle (अवधारण/विरोधार्थक)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• punaḥ: again/further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Adverb (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)

• puṣpa-prakara-śobhite: in/at (a place) adorned with heaps of flowers
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; qualifying implied 'sthāne/vasudhāyām'
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: puṣpa (पुष्प) + prakara (प्रकर) + śobhita (शोभित कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śubh)

• kuśaiḥ: with kuśa grass
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: kuśa (कुश प्रातिपदिक)

• āstīrya: having spread
• Type: Verb
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यबन्त), 'having spread'
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Root: ā+stṛ (आ+स्तृ धातु)

• vasudhām: the ground/earth
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: vasudhā (वसुधा प्रातिपदिक)

• kṛṣṇa-ajina-kuśa-uttarīm: covered with black antelope-skin and kuśa (as upper covering)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying 'vasudhām' (as 'covered/overlaid with...')
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) + ajina (अजिन) + kuśa (कुश) + uttara (उत्तर)

Sandhi Notes

• kuśair āstīrya = kuśaiḥ + āstīrya (visarga before vowel)
• gocarmamātram = go + carma + mātram
• kṛṣṇājinakuśottarīm = kṛṣṇa-ajina-kuśa-uttarīm (vowel coalescence)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Ritual micro-site

Speaker

Hotṛ (contextual continuation from 106.1)

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ritual hermeneutics

Subjects

Ritual PracticeHeritage of Material Culture

Core idea

Material arrangements (kuśa, kṛṣṇājina, measured space) function as carriers of śakti/saṃskāra, making action ‘fit’ (yogya) for sacred ends.

In practice

In home rites, create a defined, clean, and symbolically charged space; treat beauty (flowers) as part of dharma, not decoration alone.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Ritual space
• Kuśa grass
• Kṛṣṇājina (antelope-skin) usage

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It records standard ritual materials (kuśa, kṛṣṇājina) and measurement conventions (gocarma-mātra), aiding comparative study of ritual manuals and Purāṇic prescriptions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic site is named; the verse specifies a measured ritual area.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes careful preparation and orderly arrangement as part of responsible giving and ritual conduct.